Control mechanism for head and box motions of looms



March 19, 1929. E 1,705,468

COTHROL MECHANISM FOR HEAD AND BOX MOTIONS OF BOOKS Filed July 19, 1927 v. [6' I /9 h I I: I I 19 k3 1,2 Z 5/ /a Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

airs

LEON H. IBEYTES, OF NORTH PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

COIYTROL MECHANISM FOR HEAD AND BOX MOTIONS F LOOMS.

Application filed July 19,

My invention relates to looms and more specifically aims to provide an improved pattern or operating sequence control mechanism for the head-motions and box-motions of looms.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example certain embodiments of my invention. 7

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section, somewhat diagrammatic, of a portion of a loom head-motion having mechanism in accordanee with one form of my invention applied to it;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation and upon a larger scale of a section of pattern chain and its actuating element-or pattern cylinder similar to that shown in Fig. 1;

r Fig. 3 is a broken view partly in elevation and partly in section through a portion of the mechanism of Fig. 2, but one bar of the chain being shown, for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a plurality of separate pattern chains on the same cylinder capable of receiving a single wider chain;

F 5 is a transverse section through a cylinder having a plurality of chainsof different lengths thereon; anl v i Fig. 6 shows a fastener, upon a larger scale.

-' Referring more particularly to the draw-- ings and first to Fig. 1, the loom parts shown in illustration of one adaptation of my inrention include a vibrator lever 1, a series of which is provided, these being the movable parts to be acted upon by the pattern mechanism. Each vibrator lever 1 carries a vibrator gear 2, adapted to mesh with onejor the other of the cylinder gears 3, 3 accordingly as its vibrator lever is raised or lowered as controlled by the pattern mechanism. En.- gagement of a vibrator gear with one or the other of said cylinder gears will cause the corresponding harness jack 4 to be moved in one or the opposite direction through the connector 5, thereby raising or lowering the harness connected to that particular in ck.

Looking now more particularly at 2 and 3 the pattern controlling device there shown as illustrating my invention comprises a series of transverseliars. or carrier bars, pins or the like 7, each adapted o receive a row of pattern elements includingthe sinkers or plain members 8 and the risers or cam members 9. The'sinkers S constituting one form of means for holding or locating the 1927. serial No. 206,900.

risers in the selected positions along a bar as shown are in the form of collars or bushings and may have a length of one, two, three or more units as the pattern arrangement-- may require, or the desired number of single or other unit-sinkers may be used in line upon a bar. I

Each riser 9 comprises acentrally 3.1361. tured huh portion 10 and a body or cam portion 11 of disk-like form which may be termed the riser disk. Said hub portion projects laterally and axially at both faces of the riser disk, as illustrated, to a suflicient distance tocooperate with hearing means for externally supporting the riser at its hub positively and accurately,.as will later be more fully described. The full width of the riser axially. thereof, including both the disk or cam and the hub portion is substantially equal to that of a sinker of singleunit length. As

stated, the riser disk is positioned in the manner of a flange substantially centrally between the ends-of the hub so that a double,

external hub'bearing isalways provided for each riser, one such hub hearing at each face of each riser disk.

Successive bars 7 carrying the variously arranged risers and sinkers areconnected in parallelism as by the links 12 at the opposite ends of the bars. Said links, in their preferred form and as best seen 1n" F ig. 5, are of arcuate shape having a bearing oreye 13 at each end for receiving the respective bars, 1 preferably and in actual practice provide links of markedly increased thickness over that heretofore customary, at least at their eyes, for example equal to about half the axialextent of a sinker or of a riser, as

illustrated, so that two links together will occupy on a bar substantlally the space of one sinker or one riser, or each link eye or entire link may correspond to a full sinker or riser, or may be otherwise proportioned. The links thus have an extended bearing engagement with their bars, so that the latter are accurately held in parallelism, with little or no play. Due to this extensive bearing surface between the bars and the links the latter do not tend to shear thebars or wear thenrexcessively in the manner of the'thin sheet-metal and blade-like links commonly employed.

The links 12 may be held in place upon the bars by any'suitable means but I have herein shown for this purpose an improved fastening device. The barsorypins'r' are formed parts.

with annular grooves 14: near their ends, at the outer faces of the links, for the reception of the fasteners 15; see Fig. 6. These latter may be resilient washer-like devices adapted to be sprung about the bars and into said grooves 14, or pliable wire-like broken rings pressed into the grooves, one form of which is illustrated in Fig. 6, or other means substantially encircling the bar axis and seating in said grooves. Said fastening means is a distinct improvement upon the former cotter pin type, since it provides bearing engagement with the ad acent face of a link substantially completely around the bar, and acts additionally to hold the links in alignment and the bars in parallelism, thus making for better cooperation of the chain with its actuatin'g element or cylinder and for smoother and quieter operation in general.

In the form of fastener 15 shown upon a larger scale in Fig. 6 I obtain a niaxii'i'i'uin radial thickness of stock and necessary resiliency in a fastener of'least overall diameter,

the wire-like blank, preferably substantially 'used they are apt to be forced out, while if sufficiently longcotters are used the bent or spread ends frequently catch in other parts of the chain or in the various devices that are used in carrying long chains, whatever the type of chain carriers, with resulting defective operation, looin stoppage or breakage of My pattern chain thus comprises a series of bars carrying risers located in selected position therealong as by the sinkers herein illustrated for the purpose by way of example, said bars being connected for pivotal movement in parallelism with each other by the links and fasteners. The corresponding risers and sinkers on successive bars are dis-- posed in alignment, each line of risers and sinkers in the direction of the length of the pattern chain comprising what may be termed one control path or control line. In the connection herein illustrated, each such control line determines the operation of one loom harness, or the combination of two control lines may determine the positioning of one cell of a shuttle box as in the case of the ch in shown at the left in Fig, 2.

A pattern chain as shown and described may be employed in connection with a driving element or pattern cylinder of the usual form, which comprises merely shaft having sprockets'at its opposite ends for engagement with the ends of the chain bars. Owing to the improved lin {s and fastening devices, with resultant decrease in play and wear of the parts, superior operating results are obtained. Also due to the relatively narrow cam surface of the risers, as compared with the whole width of one control path, all chance of one riser actuating two vibrator levers simultaneously, with resulting harness ship, is avoided. But if said usual pattern cylinder with widely separated sprockets is used, the bars and the sinker and riser members thereon are without support or guidance intermediate the chain sides. Also in such case one longitudinal line of 'col lars similar to sinkers must be provided at each side of the chain at the inner faces of v the links for engagement with the twosproclrets. The chain of my invention, however, is particularly advantageous in combination 'with an improved driving element or patshaft or a separate piece fitted and secured to it, has in its edge plurality or transverse notches or arcuate recesses 19 equally spaced about the ring, suitahle number being provided according to the dimension of the shaft and of the links, risers, etc. in the prese: t case 1 have illustrated six notches to each nag. iii'l acent rings 17 are an ed with their respective notches in alignment longitudinally of the shaft, at least throughout any such successive plurality of rings as will cooperatewith one pattern chain. If desired the saio rings may be angularly ad- .iustahle upon the s t where a plurality of chains areto be employed so that one chain may be advanced relatively to anothen 'llhe'respective aligned series of notches 19 in a number of rings 17 thus constitute in effect a plurality of equally a'ngularly spaced grooves each adapted to receive and aiford'e'xternal bearing support for the hubs of all risers of a given row or bar, each riser being directly supported at both sides ofits disk, by reason of the central location of the latter on the hub. Further, the inter-ring spaces or annu .r cylinder grooves 18 have a depth be low the bottom of the ring notches 19 at least equal to but preferably somewhat greater I 'han that radial portion of a riser which lies outside the er than the reatest radial dimension of a '7 ser hub, that somewhat greati of any risers upon a given bar having eXternal bearing engagement in the aligned notches of the several rings during the travel of that bar around the cylinder, whileeach riser disk extends downwardly and is positively guided between two adjacent rings. To facilitate the entrance of the risers between the rings for guidance thereby I may round off orbevel the side edges of the ring disks, as indicated at 20, Fig. 3. The dimensions of the rings and spaces betw en them are preferably such that the width of a space plus the width of a ring substantially equals the extent of one riser 1n the direction longitudinally of V the cylinder, that is, the width of one control path. Since the risers have double hub bearlngs, one at each face of the riser d1sk,.as

I illustrated, each control path and each riser or sinker actually covers one inter-ring space and substantially onehalf the ring at each side of it. 1

In accordance with my invention, therefore, each riser, during the travel of its bar about the pattern cylinder, has external hub bearing support directly upon the cylinder, and said hub bearing is a double one, afforded by the double hub portions of each riser seating in the respective notches of two adjacent rings. Said hub bearings going into the longitudinal cylinder'grooves or aligned notches 19 definitely and positively position and support the risers. The pressure of each vibrator lever l at the time of contact of a riser with it is thus entirely removed from the bar on which that riser is positioned and is received directly by the cylinder through the riser hub, externally of the latter. The bar or pin itself is completely unloaded. This is of particular importance at the time mentioned, when the riser is engaging the vibrator lever 1 or other part to be moved, since a positive and accurate actuation of the latter is assured, in contrast to the case Where the chain bars have no support intermediate their ends or where there is no individual or external hub bearing support for the risers. The same may also apply to the sinkers which may be similarly received and supported in the aligned ring notches while passing about the pattern cylinder. Further, the riser elements of each control line are additionally positively and independently guided lengthwise of the chain during their passage about the cylinder, by the inter-ring spaces 18. With said construction and arrangement of the risers and the provision of a pattern cylinder of the novel form described and with the resulting ability to use a cam or working face for the riser disk which is narrower than a control path or than the members to be moved, such as the vibrator levers l, the possibility of a harnessskip is eradicated as far the pattern mechanism is concerned, i

which latter has been the chief source of these expensive and wasteful defects in weaving. At the same time I obtain positive guidance of the chain and accurate bearing support for its elements coupled with the benefits oi. said narrow operating or cairn faces of the risers, and all with no sacrifice of flexibility and ease of assembling or alteration of the chain as various patterns or weaves may re quire, since the pattern controlling elements, the risers and sinker-s, of any single control path or harness path? are individually and independently assemblable. v.

Other advantages in the disclosed pattern control mechanism in addition to those already pointed out will be apparent. It will] be noted, for example, that with the described.

construction, including thearcuate links, the connectmg portlons ot the links he outside the outer diameter of the pattern cylinder, that is,

outside the circumference; of the rings, while the hearings or eyes at the ends of the links have a diameter substantially the same as that of. the hubs of the risers or as that oi the sinker-s, and that two links together may have substantially the widthof one riser or sinker or of a plurality of them. Accordingly I may insert extra links of this form intermediate the ends of the bars in a comparatively wide chain, as illustrated for example at 12? in Fig. 2, thus strengthening the chain and additionally insuring the maintenance of the bars. in parallelism. One or more of the links in such case will'engage with the edge of a ring while passing about the cylinder and afford additional bearing support for the chain upon the latter. mediate the side edges of a chain is not possible in a pattern mechanism 01 the usual form.

Any desired number of relatively narrow Chains such as described may-be employed in place of a single Wide chain on a cylinder of given length in accordance with myinvention, as illustrated 1n Fig. 4 and the several chains may themselvesbe of different lengths,

Such provision of-extra links inter-- as shown in Fig. 5, with resultant possibility of great saving inchain stock and in the work of pattern building. Similarly in the boxmotion chain, a plurality of narrower chains spaced sufiiciently to accommodate the links and fastenersmight be employed in place of a single Wider one if for any reason such arrangcment, should be desired.

, Also, because of the described construction of the risers, withdouble or oppositelyprojecting hub portions and central disk thereon,-

I may in some instances'form the risers in units of two or more as shown for example, at

21 in Fig. 2. Such integral formation of a plurality of risers is not practicable in chains of the usual type, having widecam faces, because of the difliculty in milling out the stock between the individual riser cams While if said stock is not so removed the additional weight would be prohibitive of the use of a multiple-unit riser. j

Inany case, however, following my present invention, 1 provide for independence of construction and assembly between each single control line of riser and sinker members in a chain, while at the same time obtaining positive guidance and positive external hub bearing support for said riser members in each such line.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiments thereof shown and described herein, its scope being set forth in the following claims 1. In a pattern control mechanism for looms, in combination, a pattern chain having successive rows of risers held in selected relation in each row, said risers each including a dis z-shaped body portion and a concentric hub portion projecting substantially' equal distances at the two sides of said body portion, and a rotary chain-actuating. element or pattern cylinder coniprising a shaft having disposed along and coaxially with it a series of radial, transversely notched, spaced ring formations, the corresponding notches of all said rin formations for cooperation with a given. pattern chain being aligned lengthwise the shaft, each aligned series of notches to afford bearing means for the hubs of all risers of the particular row then cooperating with it, said ring formations be.- ing spaced and constructed to provide annular guide grooves for the side faces of the respective riser body portions of a depth sur ficient to clear the inner faces of said riser body portions when their hubs have bearing in said notches.

2. In a pattern control mechanism for looms, in combination, a pattern chain having successive rows of risers held in'selected relation in cachrow, said risers each including a disk-shaped body portion and a central hub portion projecting substantially equally at opposite faces thereof, a rotary chain-actua ting element or pattern cylinder comprising a shaft having disposed along and coaxially with it a series of radial, transversely notched, ring formations circumferentially continuous between said notches, and spaced and constructed to provide guide'ineans for the respective risers in the direction of their travel about the cylinder.

In a loom, pattern control mechanism including a chain of transverse bars or pins, links pivotally connecting the latter, each bar carrying a row of plain or sinker members and cam or riser members arranged as called for'by the pattern, corresponding members on successive bars being in alignment lengthwise the chain to constitute one control line, each riser including a disk of a thickness substantially less than the width of a control line and a concentric cylindrical hub portion. ap proximately equalling in length the width of one control line, the riser diskbeing substantially centrally disposed between the hub ends, and a chain-driving element or pattern cylinder comprising a series of coaxial,

cooperation therewith comprising successive articulated rows of variously arranged risers held in selected arrangement, each riser including a disk received and guided in one of said annular groove formations and a concentric laterally projecting hub at each face of said disk adapted to seat in said longitudinal groove formations and at such time positively to position and to furnish the entire 7 bearing support of its riser, by external con tact with the walls of the engaged groove formation, said positioning and supporting action being substantially similar at both sides of each riser disk. y

5. A pattern chain cylinder for looms, comprising an axial shaft portion and a series of equally spaced ring or sprocket formations along the working length of the -cylinde 7, tially continuous spaces for the reception and guidance of disk-shaped risers, each ring or sprocket having a plurality of equi-angularly spaced edge notches, with corresponding notches of successive rings in alignment lengthwise the cylinder throughout the width of any desired pattern chain, and each ring being circumferentially substantially uninter rupted intermediate said notches, the latter providing bearings for elements of pattern chain to be actuated thereby.

6. A pattern chain for looms, comprising a series of transverse bars, means pivotally connecting said bars in substantial parallelism to form a chain, cam or riserunits held in selected arrangement on said bars, aligned units in the direction of the chain length constituting one control path or line, said riser units having each a centrally apertured hub portion and a cam or disk portion concentric therewith and substantially centrally between its ends, said cam portionbeing of iroviding between them circumferen- 7. In pattern-chain mechanism for looms,

an articulated pattern chain comprising successive rows of risers arranged and held as called for by the pattern, each riser including a disk-shaped body portion and a hub portion projecting axially from said body portion at the opposite side faces thereof, suf-- hciently to afford means for external double hub bearing support of its riser.

8. In a pattern chain mechanism for looms, an articulated pattern chain comprising successive rows of risers arranged and held as called for by the pattern, each riser including a hub portion adapted to receive external bearing support at both ends and a diskshaped body portion thereon substantially centrally intermediate said hub ends.

9. In a pattern chain mechanism for looms, an articulated pattern chain comprisin successive rows of risers arranged and held as called for by the pattern, eacn riser including a disk-shaped body portion and a hub por tion projecting axially from id body portion to substantially equal distances at the opposite side faces thereof and sufficiently to provide means for the external hub bearing support of its riser at both sides of the riser body portion. i

10. In a pattern chain mechanism for looms, a chain comprising a series of trans verse bars carrying risers held in selected arrangement therealong, links at the opposite ends of the bars for hingedly connecting the successive bars, and means for securing said links in position upon the bars including an annular groove near the ends of each bar and outside the outer links, and a fastener adapted to be received and retained in each groove and substantially completely surrounding the bar axis to afford a side-thrust bearing for the link around substantially the entire circumference of the bar, said fastener formed of wire-like spring metal stock having its ends bent inwardly upon themselves but spaced from each other providing an interrupted ring of a radial thickness double that of the stock at all points except that intermediate said opposed inturned ends.

11. In a loom pattern chain mechanism, a

chain composed of pivotally connected bars carrying individual and independently as semblable riser units located therealong in selected relation, and a chain driving cylinder, sa1d cylinder and each of sa1d riser units being provided With cooperating formations whereby each riser unit, during itstravel about the cylinder Will be restrained from movement in either direction lengthwise the cylinder.

12. In a 100111, and locating means therefor, said risers including an operating or lever-engaging portion and; a hub portion projecting at both sides thereof, and chain-driving cylinder having spaced along it a plurality of concentric plates or rings, the construction and arrangementiof said cylinder rings and risers being riser with its particular vibrator-lever or the like to be actuated, the thrust or pressure of said engaged member upon the operating portion. of the riser is transmitted therefrom substantially equally by both sides or ends of the riser hub portion directly onto two adjacent cylinder plates or rings.

13. In a loom pattern chain mechanism, a

a pattern chain having risers v such that,'during engagement of a chain composed of pivotally connected bars carrying individual and independently assemblable risers, means for locating the risers in selected position along the respective bars,

and a chain-driving cylinder, said cylinder and each of said risers being provided With cooperating formations whereby the cylinder,

upon and durin engagement With each riser,

Will directly engage and fix the latterin its path of travel as to'movement both axially and transversely of the cylinder.

14. In a loom, a cylinder for actuating a pattern chain, the latter having a plurality of chain lines of risers formed as structurally ind-op ndent units, said cylinder being constructed and arranged directly to engage and axially from said body. portion sufliciently to afford means for the external hub bearing support of its riser. I In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LEON n; Bnr'rns. 

